It’s common sense to stay off God’s throne
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James, chapter 4 begins with two interesting questions. James asks, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?” (James 4:1). Remember, James was writing to the members of his Jerusalem church who had been scattered due to persecution. Most of James’ flock had been born into the Jewish faith but then placed their trust and faith in Jesus as their Messiah.
James asks God’s children, these early Christians, what causes their fights and quarrels. Understandably, people of faith will have issues with people outside their churches, especially if the argument concerns important biblical truth and teaching. But apparently, that wasn’t the only issue among James’ flock.
How would you answer James today? Right now, many Sunday School teachers and preachers are steering clear of politics. Every church has both Democrats and Republicans, and we don’t want politics to become divisive and distract people from important faith priorities.
What causes Christians to fight and quarrel?
Jim and I were young when we went to pastor a small Baptist church in the country. There was a lot of love in the church but not much money. It was almost time for VBS when the only water fountain in the church stopped working. A man came to check it out and announced it wouldn’t be worth fixing.
We were about to have a LOT of kids for VBS, and we needed a new water fountain. We had a business meeting to vote on spending the money to purchase the new fountain, and those attending quickly approved the purchase. Then someone asked, “What color fountain should we get?” For the next HOUR, the people debated what color fountain we should buy. Finally, at the end of the discussion, it was voted that we would get another brown fountain, just like the one purchased decades earlier. (Just FYI. . . . I did NOT vote for brown because I thought it was outdated looking. However, the pretty blue one I chose raised concerns about showing dirty fingerprints.)
Over the years, I have pictured Jesus on his throne, rolling his eyes at some of our church discussions. Christians have so much in common, especially about the most important things. But Satan seems to hide out in the small stuff and is great at making us think the small stuff really matters.
James answered his own questions, saying, “Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:1–4).
James told his church they were quarreling over their personal wants and needs. Why? Because they hadn’t taken the time to ask God and wait for his answer. Most of the arguments I witnessed in the churches we pastored had nothing to do with what was important to God and everything to do with what was important to certain groups of people. A lot of the quarrels about the contemporary music style were led by the people who sang the “high church” solos. They argued about the merits of contemporary music, but they were concerned with the fact that if the music style changed, they would likely not be asked to do many solos in the morning worship service. (Our services were on TV, which made that an even bigger issue than it should have been.)
Those who know me know that I like the hymns the best. I like the words, the theology, the music, and the tradition of the great hymns. But I’ve also come to appreciate some contemporary music’s joy and praise. I measure music now by one standard: “Does it cause people to praise and worship God?” If yes, then it is good music.
James makes a key statement about quarrels and fights. He said, “Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Maybe we should ask every contentious person in our churches, “Do you realize you could be making yourself an enemy of God right now?” THAT would likely shut me down. A brown water cooler is just fine if it means I’m choosing God’s side!
Why does God put up with our fights and quarrels?
James wrote, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ’God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:6–8).
God puts up with us because of his grace. He loves us so much he chooses to offer patience to his kids. At the same time, God calls us to do better. How many of the issues in our churches would become a “non-argument” if we realized Satan was behind all of our self-important, self-driven thoughts and desires? Paul encouraged the Ephesian church to remember, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” If we paused to realize that our arguments were actually helping Satan, we would probably give up a little more quickly on the things that don’t matter eternally.
James said, “Humble yourself before the Lord and he will exalt you” (James 1:10). The answer to almost every Christian argument is to humble yourself. The triune God sits on the throne of heaven, and none of us have been invited to sit beside him. If we humble ourselves, he can exalt us. If we crawl up on his throne, refusing to humble ourselves, God will likely humble us. It’s a LOT BETTER if we take the initiative so we don’t have to accept his discipline.
How do you know if you need a “humble thyself” session with God?
It isn’t difficult to know if you are at odds with some of your Christian family and at odds with God. James gave us a good way to measure ourselves. He wrote, “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11–12).
Do you sit in judgment on people who vote differently than you? Do you sit in judgment on people who want only contemporary music while you want only hymns? Do you sit in judgment on your brothers and sisters who dress differently, parent differently, give differently, attend differently, and worship differently?
Do you slander, gossip, and gripe about your brothers and sisters in Christ? Most of us can probably answer, “Not usually.” Thank you, Lord, for your loving grace. None of us deserve all the love and mercy we have received.
How can you humble yourself today?
When I know I am not right with God and too consumed with judging, I like to picture God on his throne as Elijah saw him, “high and lifted up.” I sometimes place myself beside Mary at the foot of the cross. I see her agonizing tears, and I see the blood of Christ pooling at the bottom of the cross. I am deeply grieved and humbled by the grace and love that have literally been poured into my life through Jesus’ sacrifice.
My next thought is often, “Why does that fight or quarrel even matter?”
God is on his throne of glory, and we have made him our King. It’s just common sense to fight the temptation to “think more highly of ourselves than we ought.” It’s common sense to stay off the throne and honor God as our Sovereign King.
The water from that brown fountain was just as cold and refreshing. Fighting and quarreling among Christians are rarely worth our effort. Extending God’s grace and mercy to one another is worthy of our best efforts.
Who will need God’s grace today from you, his humble servant?
